A media fail

The Waikato Times had a big article on a family struggling to make ends meet in Hamilton. The mother is quoted as saying she could never vote National, used to vote Labour but this time thinks the best option for her is to vote Greens.

Nowhere in the article do they mention her partner, and father of her child, is the Green Party candidate for Hamilton East – Max Dillon.

This is not a trivial oversight. It undermines the entire article. It means either the Waikato Times never asked if they had a political affiliation, or they knew and didn’t care.

I think the fault lies not only with the newspaper though. To agree to be interviewed as a typical struggling family, who have decided to vote Green, without disclosing the father/partner is the Green Party candidate is rather unethical.

UPDATE: This appeared today:

This is very interesting. First it tells us that this was pretty much a Green Party sting. Even worse according to the Waikato Times they say they specifically asked Ms Campbell if she had any links to the Greens.

It is interesting that they used Twitter to obtain interview subjects. It makes it far more likely those with a political agenda will be interviewed as they are more likely to volunteer. Once upon a time media would have used networks to hunt out a family to profile. Better to profile someone who does not volunteer but somewhat grudgingly consents. They are more likely to be genuine.

If the Waikato Times did ask Ms Campbell for any links to the Green Party, then one can’t hold them responsible for being lied to. However we don’t know exactly what they asked and exactly what the answer was. I think there is still a lesson here – they could have searched Twitter or used Google and discovered the link quite easily.

Mark

Reprint of a post I made earlier in the day on Gotcha –
Watch main­stream media dive for cover on this one, the only place this ever going to see the light of day is on blogs, which is sad really because it shows that the Greens are not above a lit­tle bit of skul­dug­gery, let the end jus­tify the means.
This from the fine polit­i­cal party that can count amongst it’s mem­bers Brad­ford, Locke, Bun­kle, and Delahunty, all fine spec­i­mens.
Rod Don­ald would be so proud.

thedavincimode

The story is also interesting in that it perpetuates the notion that it is socially acceptable to breed in reliance upon taxpayer handouts. 22 yo. Would she care to spare a thought for those couples that work into their thirties so that they can afford to have children?

Max Coyle is an electorate candidate only, he’s not on the Green list, so his chances of getting media attention are very low. It’s possible his partner did this, with his support or on her own, thinking it was a way they could get their toe in the media dor and do their bit to promote the party.

So I’d go with naive, possibly a bit misleading, and probably a bit slack by the newspaper.

It’s common for TV in particular to interview apparently random ordinary people that have little if anything to add to stories. I wondered how they recruited them.

stu-tron

Captain Neurotic

I’m especially interested in the 100s of photos showing him smoking, binge drinking and using mushrooms/pot. I’m not one to play the moral high ground, nor condemn such behaviour, it’s just… that it seems to contradict the whole ‘good role models to our children’ philosophy the Greens have. Especially as he is a father…

Longknives

I’m always suspicious of persons who have multiple names/identities….I hope WINZ are too!!

Captain Neurotic- Those photos arent able to be accessed without becoming a ‘Facebook Friend’ of this dodgy character. But if what you say is true and Mr Dillon (or whatever he calls himself) is living the hard party lifestyle- Then surely Ms Campbells rant about how ‘hard up’ they are is utter bollocks?

3-coil

Lee01

Toad made a brief appearence on the sex ed thread to berate some of us for our “homophobia” and then promptly dissapeared. I guess hanging around to engage in real debate on the issue of the GP’s lying and deception was a little too hard for him.

thedavincimode

I see Phil Urine is still alive and a regular at Frogblog, looks like they have lower standards there.
I also see his website is still the same load of drug induced disjointed drivel, I just couldn’t resist a peek.
How I miss his witty repartee. YEAH RIGHT

davidp

According to his candidate’s profile, Max Dillon Coyle is a 27 year old student and Green Party volunteer. That explains the fact that his missus feels poor. But her best remedy is likely to be pushing him to grow up and get a job, rather than bleating to the newspaper about the government.

Lee01

Please excuse Toad from coming to school today, he has had a terrible shock, a nasty whale ate one of his tadpoles and he is suffering so awfully, so bad in fact that he has told people that he threw up.

He also said he wasn’t comfortable coming back here as he knew someone to quote him “hand him his arse” whatever that means, I know you boys will all be nice to him when he comes back.

Elaycee

So the same luddites who try to claim the moral high ground on anything and everything, have been outed as nothing more than duplicitous, cheap media whores who resort to lies, deceit and hypocrisy in an effort to gain attention.

s.russell

Sorry to poop at the party, but I think Pete is probably right: this is the action of Dillon’s partner. To point the finger at Dillon himself, or at the Greens generally we would need some evidence that they knew and were complicit in her deception.
If the wife/husband of a National candidate in an unwinnable seat did the same thing, should National and John Key be blamed? Not without some better evidence.

kiwi in america

s russell
What a crock. What you’re suggesting is that Ms Campbell participated in an interview that gets published prominently in the Waikato Times- an article that skewers the Nats AND the Greens main electoral competition, and that the first her partner Max Coyle knows about it is when he reads about it in the paper? Pulease – there’s a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you!!

The pillow talk would most likely have gone something like this:
Campbell- “Honey you’ll never guess but the Times tweeted looking for a family struggling to make ends meet so I responded and they chose me and interviewed me. You’ll be so proud of me – I mentioned how hard life is right now and how Id never vote for National or Labour again and that the Greens will get my vote”
Coyle – “You cheeky thing – I hope you never mentioned our relationship” followed by an affectionate kiss!
Campbell – “No darling I covered your arse – when they asked about political affliliations I said I was a former Labour voter – made it all sound very innocent”
Coyle – “What if the Times find out I’m a Green candidate”
Campbell – “Its OK dear – I know the reporters there – they are Green supporters so they’re hardly likely to worry”

Good job whaleoil! Blows the Greens holier than thou sanctimonious piety out of the water. Love to hear Wussell Norman explain this one away.

bruno 32

Get over it. As a dairy farmer I get defamed and shat on every day by the so called green party. I call them the green with envy party. Key should put a bounty on their heads.Triple points for ginga aussies.

b3xi3gurl

it may be easy for you to all say but so you even know Miss Campbell? Coz if u do then u can make a judgement about her but seeing as you dont know both sides to the story then your accusations could be wrong. Realisitcally who are people going to believe… a ‘reliable’ newspaper and ‘good’ journalism (pfffft that makes me laugh even harder) or someone who isn’t well know in the media industry? just because they publish ‘news’ doesnt mean they are not twisting what they write!

kac

1st off if she was asked directly and lied. Surely it wouldnt take a very long time to verify both Melissa & Max to see if they were political sided. I dont think either of them would think they would get away with it if it was planned. I think it was just a massive screw up. These things just happen, not often but they do. Lets stop blaming the greens, or Melissa & just move on.

sandnwong

Far out!Does anybody actually read the newspaper correctly??????And in context??Without spazzing out???
Is it not ok in this day and age for a woman to have an opinion on polictics that isnt the same as her partners?Just because Melissa’s partner is doing something for the Green party,that in no way means 100% that she feels the same as him!
In no place in the article,does it mention that the reporter asked Melissa about her partners political views!Therefore she didnt lie,and maybe just maybe,in doing the interview she honestly didnt think it relevant what her partners views are?!!!
Also Im really not understanding why everyone is going on about her being a drain on the taxpayer?She clearly says in the article that she is working part-time AND is a qualified teacher!
I think everyone needs to get off Melissa’s back,and instead get on the reporters back for not doing his background work more thoroughly!!!!!!!!

[DPF: No one is saying anyone should not have an opinion. But it was dishonest not to disclose your partner is actually standing for Parliament for the Greens, especially when you are talking about how you will probably vote for them. It is what people call relevant info that should be disclosed, so the views can be judged in context]

kac

Ms Campbell is a citizen. Not a part of greens, nor is she of legal mind. Therefore how could she be aware she was doing anything wrong unless directly asked? The waikato times reporter is just covering his/her own ass. it would be the same if someone interviewed me and I failed to tell them my favourite colour is blue. Its up to the reporter to ask direct questions like do you or your partner have a direct link to any party. I am certain that she would not have lied to the newspaper rather the newspaper failed to ask the right questions, before deciding on Ms Campbell as a subject.